Bed bugs and Pests
Pest exterminators Dhanush Madhavan and Nalaka Daundaratne
Using Heat to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are sensitive to heat treatments and under certain conditions you can use many heat sources as hot water, steam, washer-dryer at highest heat setting, heat guns, etc. 20-30 minutes exposure to around 50 degrees Celsius or at the high setting in a clothes dryer is enough to kill nymphs and adult bed bugs. However, eggs are only effectively destroyed after about 1 ½ hours in the same heat. So, ideally, when using heat to clear beg bugs infested clothes, at least dry for 90-100 minutes for confirmed results.
Using hot water to get rid of bed bugs
Direct exposure to boiling water can most of the bed bugs instantly. However, it must be done safely as well as only if it’s practical based on location. The water must be just boiled and between at least 90-95 Celsius degrees. Best time use is as a primary or secondary steps to get rid of bed bugs from cracks and folds of furniture, bed bases, matrasses that you cannot use other techniques due to restricting factors. While almost all adult bed bugs can be killed with direct contact of boiling water, some may survive depending on how much heat they are exposed to. However, best part of boiling water is that it would make the bed bugs who are hiding in cracks and crevices come out so that you can use other methods to get rid of them.
Using steam to kill bed bugs
Steam means 100 degrees Celsius that is lethal to bed bugs when in contact. However, there are few challenges and consideration in how to use steam to eradicate them
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Ideally, you will need a professional level or a better steam gun to kill bed bugs effectively
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While nymphs and adult bed bugs will die within 4-5 consistent steaming, the eggs will require 20-25 seconds of exposure for complete eradication. Therefore, it will be very challenging and time consuming if you don’t have the right equipment and dedication to do this as a DIY method. However, you can creatively use your steaming iron at specific areas according to good judgement.
Using hot air guns and hair dryers to get rid of bed bugs
Hot air at 45 degrees Celsius or above surely can kill bed bugs given that it’s applied for specific time ranges that we talked about earlier. However, note that bed bugs and their eggs are very small and pressurized air can push them away from the surfaces before reaching the required time of exposure. Therefore, it’s important to use your critical thinking in identifying where exactly it will be useful and practical to engage.
Freezing to get rid of bed bugs
Freezing items that are confirmed or suspected of having infested by bed bugs will be lethal for them. However, conditions are that it must be below -15 to -20 degrees Celsius and for at least 4-5 days to expect any eggs to be destroyed. During an experiment that we conducted found that in approximately in 3-4 hours partially fed nymphs and adults died in the freezer. However, few freshly fed adults could survive up to 6 hours. Anyhow, as the eggs can last for days, the recommendation is to freeze the items or clothes for above mentioned number of days.
Using Vacuum cleaners to get rid of bed bugs
Any type of a vacuum cleaner can be highly useful in your DIY project of getting rid of bed bugs. We will discuss more deeper about how to vacuum effectively in steps to get rid of bed bugs by Dhanush and Nalaka Daundaratne,